Chapter 91 - Infiltrating Mayfair
With our bank accounts frozen in Europe, Julian thought he had stripped us of our power. He didn't realize that ten years in corporate Chicago had taught me how to fight in the dark.
At 11:00 PM, an exclusive, invite-only underground auction was underway inside a grand Mayfair mansion. London's shadowy elite gathered in masks, bidding on confidential corporate ledgers, sovereign debt bonds, and black-market intelligence.
Disguised in a black silk gown with a lace mask obscuring my features, I slipped into the grand ballroom using a forged diplomatic pass provided by Marcus. Ethan watched the perimeter from a hidden communications van outside.
"Julian is on the upper balcony," Marcus whispered through my earpiece. "He's auctioning off the original physical ledgers of Arthur Vance's estate to a syndicate of offshore brokers."
I navigated the crowd, my heart pounding steady and strong. I positioned myself near the private VIP bar right beneath the balcony, where Charlotte stood sipping champagne, looking visibly uncomfortable as Julian barked orders at his security detail.
When Julian stepped away to enter the private bidding room, I stepped out from the shadows, blocking Charlotte's path near the mirrored hallway.
"You don't belong here, Victoria," Charlotte whispered, her face pale as she recognized me behind the lace mask.
May you like
"Neither do you, Charlotte," I said softly, stepping closer so only she could hear me. "Julian didn't rescue you from that explosion ten years ago, did he? He kept you locked away as his prisoner. And now he's using you to steal my children's future."
Charlotte's green eyes flickered with a sudden, raw terror that proved my theory was right.
